1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to a veterinary bathing station and, particularly, to such a station having an improved means for the ingress and egress of an animal to be bathed or groomed.
2. Description of the Related Art
In veterinary medicine, the traditional areas of practice are divided into large animal practice dealing with, e.g., cows and horses, and small animal practice dealing with, e.g., dogs and cats. In the discussion which follows, the expression xe2x80x9csmall animalxe2x80x9d will be understood to mean, for example, a dog which is to be bathed or groomed, even if the dog in question weighs upward of 50 pounds and is of considerable size. Often, in while in the care of a veterinarian, such small animals must be washed, brushed, clipped and otherwise groomed for health and hygiene reasons. Veterinarian and professional groomers generally have specialized bathing stations for use in washing and grooming small animals. The bathing stations are often raised above the surrounding support surface, i.e., the floor of the building, to approximately waist height to make it easier to wash and groom the animal. Typically, the bathing stations have high sides to prevent splashing and to keep the animal from escaping. When washing a large dog, it is difficult to lift the dog into the washing station. Back strains or other injuries can occur if the animal is heavier than expected or if the animal begins to squirm or to resist being lifted.
Thus, there is a need for an improved veterinary bathing station that is more convenient and comfortable to use with small animals such as larger dogs.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a veterinary bathing station that is more convenient and comfortable to use and yet which is relatively economical to manufacture.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a veterinary bathing station which provided improved ingress and egress for a small animal such as a larger dog.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a veterinary bathing station that will reduce the risk of injury to the user.
The above objects are achieved by providing a veterinary bathing station including a washing stall having a bottom wall and surrounding side walls, at least one of the surrounding side walls having an opening of sufficient size to allow an animal to pass through. A plurality of leg elements are provided for elevating the bottom wall of the washing stall above a surrounding support surface a selected distance, wherein an open space is created between the bottom wall and the surrounding support surface. The stall also includes a ramp having an inclined ramp surface defined between a top end and a bottom end of the ramp for allowing ingress and egress of an animal from the surrounding support surface through the wall opening without the necessity of lifting the animal. A rotatable coupling attaches the top end of the ramp to the bottom wall of the washing stall, whereby the ramp is rotatable about a vertical axis between a retracted position and an extended position into and out of the open space created under the bottom wall of the stall. The extended position serves to align the ramp with the wall opening to thereby allow the animal ingress and egress through the wall opening.
Additional objects, features and advantages will be apparent in the written description which follows.